For 28 years, neither the Calgary Flames, nor the Edmonton Oilers have managed to sweep the season series... until now! The Flames managed a six game season sweep over the "debacle of monumental proportions" in copper & blue, after a nine game winless skid of their own.

Just over a month ago (Dec. 28), we witnessed Slumpbuster, the tale of the ugly girl at the bar. Tonight - Slumpbuster II, baby. There's no way to be certain if the Flames have actually figured things out or not. Not until they play an NHL calibre team because this Oiler team is embarassingly bad. Like to the point where rival fans feel sorry for Oil fans. And just think... they have 29 more games to go. They've got ONE win in their last 21 games. That translates to just under four wins over a whole season. FOUR WINS! So how exactly we're supposed to assess the Flames after playing them, I'm not sure. But the positives continue to grow and the negatives continue to shrink. And damn it, I want to believe that my team has finally figured it out and is on the road to recovery. It's been a long time since we celebrated a victory, Nation. January 9th to be exact. So here's to an eight game win streak heading into the Olympic break.

GAMENOTES:

Dustin Boyd had a 3 point night with 2G, 1A playing on a line with Jarome Iginla & Mikael Backlund for the second game in a row.

Iginla had a 'Gordie Howe hat-trick' and then some, with 2G, 2A and a fight with Oilers D Sheldon Souray. His assist on Bourque's goal was his 900th career point.

Souray fractured his hand in the fight with Iginla, pootentially spoiling any chance the Oilers had of unloading his contract this season.

Backlund notched an assist for his 2nd point in 3 games since being re-called. He hasn't looked out of place, in my opinion .

Rene Bourque closes out the season series against the Oil with 6G, 12PTS.

Read our friend Pat Steinberg's thoughts on the win here because we like him.

And check out what it must feel like to cheer for the Oil over at the competition.

UP NEXT:

The Philadelphia Flyers visit "The 'Dome" Monday @ 7:30 mt (Sportsnet, FAN960), and we'll see if the positives over the past few games continue to grow. The Flyers have fought their way back to respectability since John Stevens' dismissal and currently sit in 6th place in the Eastern Conference with 57 points, while the Flames currently sit in 8th place in the Western Conference with 62 points.

MYSTERY DEBUT

As January closes out, we'd like to announce that February will see the FlamesNation debut of a Calgary radio personality, as he/she joins the team and begins writing here.

A hockey-crazed Flames fan living in Oil Country, he was born & raised to hate the Oilers from day 1. Since he couldn't cut it as a player, and his dream jobs of 'NHL Insider', NHL General Manager, or Snoop Dogg 'advisor' aren't currently options, a lifetime of "internetting" awaits. For the latest hockey talk, along with all kinds of Flames & Oilers chatter, you can follow on twitter.com/FortShox.